Island



May 15, 1928.

c. w. MOWRY THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed March 17. 1926 [n u e 70 Z0 7ar Z05 Zfl Mo 2023/ Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES W; MOWRY, F PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND.

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS.

Application filed March 1'7, 1926. Serial No. 95,243.

the open. air and especially to the unobstructed rays of the sun is of great benefit. Such treatment is often prescribed by physicians for persons who are unwell, while many people'of average health are aware of the invigoratingefiects of such treatment and if possible or practical would take such treatment as a regular item of hygienic liv' ing.

However, in northern climates, exposure of the body to the air and sun is often ren dered unsafe or at least uncomfortable by reason of cold Winds, so that many persons, especially if not habituated to the treatment,

shrink fromitas from something disagree able. Moreover, in communities, particularly of, Anglo- Saxon origin, custom and teachings of personal modesty,as well as prohibitory statutes, forbid exposure of the nude body to the public view so that it is quite so difficult, if not impossible, for many per 7 sons who might otherwise enjoy thebenefits and pleasure of air and sun bathing to dose. y The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an apparatus or shield of inexpensive and of portable charactor, which may be erected Wherever there can be found available space having the necessary exposure to sun and air. Suitable space may'usually be found in the yard of 0 a surburban dwelling house or upon the flat roof of acity house, or. at least within easy reach of the patients dwelling, and this shield is designed to afford all necessary pro tection from drafts and to provide privacy to the person desiring to take the treatment while at the same time allowing free access of air and of the'suns rays.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, b

Fig, 1 1s pers ective view showing the invention as embncied a shield or apparel tu's of portable type, the shield being shown as erected and in operative position; and

Fig. 2 is a view of the device of Fig, 1 collapsed andbundled for transportation or storage.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate opposite side walls of a substantially rectangular shield 01* enclosure while the end walls are indicated at 3 and 4 respectively. While the apparatus is here shown .as elongate and 'of'substantially rectangular contour, the exact shape is not ma terial, and it is to be understood that the walls may be curved as well as straight and that any desired change in relative proportions or dimensions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The only substantial limitationin the dimensions "of such an apparatus isthat it shall provide sufficient floor space for the patient in whatever posture he may Wish to assume. Usually a floor space approximating in area that of a single bed will be found suiiicient for the purpose providing but one patient at a time is to be treated. Obviously the size of the apparatus may be increased if available space permitsand if greater freedom of movement within the disclosureis desired.

The apparatus is of. portable form and to this end the side and end walls are formed of'some flexible material, for example, textile fabric; This fabric or material should be substantially opaque so'ascompletely to cut off the view of the interior, and the walls are of such height as to prevent persons at the outsidefrom looking in.

The upper edges of the side walls are sewed or otherwise secured to ropes indicated at 5, such ropes being supported at their oppositeends by means of suitable detachable corner posts 6,7, 8 and 9' respectively. These corner posts may be set into the ground if circumstances permit, and are provided with guy ropes 10. -Preferably theposts are 'vertical or atleast so disposed that their lower ends define an area on the ground greater than the base of the enclosure, thus giving stability and preventing the'device from tip-. ping over when subiected to wind pressure.

In the arrangement illustrated the sides and are relatively long and to assist in the suns rays the end wall 3 is inclined up wardly. and outwardly from the bottom of the apparatus at such an angle that when the, apparatus. is properly positioned the suns rays may enter and strike the bottom of the enclosure without any shadow being castby the wall 3. While it is not wholly necessary, provided the device be properly oriented with due regard to the latitude and to the time of day during which it is to be used, I prefer to arrange the side walls 1 andZ to flare upwardly and outwardly from .the bottom of the apparatus so that less care is required in setting the apparatus relative o the points of the compass in order to insure fullflooding of the interior of the enclosure, I

This inclination of the side walls has a further desirableeifect since it tends to reflect. the suns rays more nearly in a horizontal direction and thus to concentrate them upon the patient who in most cases will recline upon a cot or other support raised somewhatfrom the floor of the ap paratus,

The exact inclination of the walls of the enclosure may be varied in accordance with circumstances and in particular with respect to the latitude and time of year at which the apparatus is to be used.

The end wall 4- is conveniently, though not necessarily, substantially vertical and 1s p rovided with an ingress opening-- 13 provided with a suitable closure. As here shown the wall 4, being made of textile fabric, is divided vertically into two portions to form the ingress opening and one of the portions overlaps the other to form aclosure flap 14 which may be buttoned or otherwise secured in closed position.

In certain locations, as, for example, where windows of nearby building overlook theonly available location for the apparatus, it may be desirable to provide one or more-of the walls with a shield to prevent personsoutside from obtaining a view of theinterior of the apparatus. In the drawings such a shield 15 is shown as movably attached to the upperedge 16 of the wall l. This shield is adapted to swing about said edge 16 as an axis. The shield may consist of a suitable light and collapsible frame covcred with textile fabric or may be of any other suitable character, and if desired the ends of this shield may be connected with adjacent walls of the enclosure by means of a extensible bellows-lilte connection 17. Suitable braces 18 or other devices may be employed for adjusting and retaining the shield 15 in desired position.

While this shield has been shown as attached to the end wall 4, it is obvious that a similar shield or shields could be secured to the edges of the side walls 1 or 2 if desired, although it is, of course, obvious that for giving sun treatments the shield should in no case be so arranged as to obstruct the entrance of the suns rays to the interior of the apparatus, unless the shield is purposely intended as a shutter for regulating the amount of sun to be admitted. In the latter case the shield might be of some transparent material colored for example, celluloid, adapted to admit rays of one wave length while excluding others. Such arrangement might be useful in the treatment of certain specific diseases where certain of the suns rays are more beneficial than others.

The arrangement hereinabove described may, when not in use, he collapsed and folded up into a bundleas shown in Fig. 2 well adapted to be carried on the running board of an automobile, the fabric and the posts being held in compact form by means of an encircling rope 19.

The device thus provided affords complete privacy to the patient desiringto take the air or sun treatment while at the same time it allows free access of air and sun. apparatus isrelatively inexpensive to make and may be set up with a minimum of labor and trouble and when collapsed occupiesbut little space. ts portable character makes it of great value for tourists and especially persons who wish to combine this air and sun treatment with bathing at the beach since the apparatus is readily set up upon the beach and it can be used immediately before or after a dip in the water.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for use in taking sun baths in the open comprising a collapsible enclosure having flexible side walls and end walls of opaque material, the sidewalls inclining outwardly and upwardly and one of the end walls having an ingress opening, the top of the enclosure being substantially open and posts detachably secured to the upper edge of the enclosure, the lower ends of the posts defining an area greater than the area of the base of the enclosure.

2. Apparatus for usein taking sun baths in the open comprising flexible side and end walls of opaque textile material, the side walls and one end wall flaring outwardly and upwardly, the other end wall being sub stantially vertical and provided with an in- The,

gress opening, and a closure for said opening, the top of the enclosure formed by the side walls being substantially open, and. a supporting post detachably secured to each upper corner of the enclosure.

3. Apparatus for use in taking sun baths in the open comprising walls of opaque textile fabric, means supporting the Walls to form an enclosure, said supporting means comprising a plurality of independent detachable posts, the top of the enclosure being substantially open, one at least of the walls sloping upwardly and outwardly to admit the suns rays without obstruction to enter and pass to the bottom of the enclosure, and. a shield for increasing the efiective height of a part at least of the wall of the enclosure.

4. Apparatus for use in taking sun baths in the open comprising flexible side and end walls of opaque material, independent posts for supporting said Walls, the side walls and one end wall flaring outwardly and upwardly to permit the suns rays freely to enter through the open top of the enclosure, an adjustable shield of colored transparent celluloid attached to the upper edge of the opposite end wall, and means for positioning said shield.

5. Apparatus for use in taking sun baths in the open comprisin flexible walls forming an elongate portal le enclosure open at the top, the sides and one end of said enclosure sloping upwardly and outwardly, a

swinging shield attached to the upper edge of the opposite end wall, vertical posts de-' tachably secured to the upper corners of the enclosure, extensible closures connecting the opposite ends of the shield with the respective side walls of the enclosure, and means for adjusting the shield. I

6. Apparatus for use in taking sun baths in the open comprising walls or textile fabric forming an elongate enclosure open at the top, one end wall of the enclosure sloping upwardly and outwardly to permit the suns rays to enter freely and without oasting a shadow upon the enclosed space, the opposite end wall being substantially ver tical, said latter wall having overlapping flap to provide an ingress openin and a closure for the opening, and an a justable shield attached to the opposite edge of the vertical wall.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, 

